July 1955 School Magazine

July, 1955

Brisbane Girls' Grammar School Magazine

Brisbane Girls' Grammar School Magazine

July, 1955

Distance was covered at an even greater speed than be- fore as the express sped on at approximately 95 miles per hour. A little more than two hundred miles from Kalgoorlie, a dark line of timber could be seen on the horizon, marking the western fringe of the limestone plain. This was the tallest timber which was encountered within a thousand miles, and which continued to within sight of the goldfields city. . i We said farewe ll to the Nullarbor, and to a unique and fascinating train journey, as we neared Kalgoorlie, the western terminus of the Trans-Continental Railway. -Janet Lettice, IIIB ON THE M.V. MANUNDA. After the May vacation, I accompanied my mother back to Brisbane on the coastal tourist vessel the Manunda, leavmg the Cairns whar£ just after 5 o'clock on Friday afternoon. We pulled out from the wharf to the strains of the "Maori's Far~­ well " and as our many and colourful :::!reamers broke, 1t see~ed as though our personal contact with land, had, for the moment been broken. As we were sailing out of Trinity Bay, Cairns looked a lovely sight bidding us farewell. The following day we stopped at Townsville, arriving there in the morning at 7 o'clock, and leaving in the evening. As the tug assisted us out of the harbour, we left our last port of call until we berthed at Brisbane the following Tuesday morn- ing. It being night, the twinkling lights of the city bade us fare- well and remained in the background for what seemed to be several hours. The lonely lights from several light-houses winked at us as we moved down the coast. We sailed through Whitsunday Passage early the follow- ing morning and most of the passengers were on deck to see the Paswge. It presented a very colourful sight, and our binoculars were in constant use. Deck games and competitions soon passed the days, as well as an inspection of the bridge, which proved to be very interesting, and life-boat drill. Entertainment at night included a meeting of the Manunda Racing Club and a Fancy Dress Parade. Fair weather and good companionship made the voyage a very pleasant one indeed. We were able to follow our passage down the coast by consulting the charts which defined our course and stated the 29

BY TRAIN ACROSS THE NULLARBOR This Trans-Australian journey was the most fascinating journey I have ever experienced. From Port Pirie, the Trans-Continental Express sped north- ward between Spencer Gulf and the slopes of Flinders Range. A few miles from Port Augusta we skirted the head of the Gulf and turned westward, travelling alongside strange, flat-topped hills. As these hills faded into the distance, the express entered the "Lake" country. After crossing Lake Windabout and Island Lagoon, we came to Tarcoola. This is the largest settlement between Port Augusta and Kalgoorlie. Leaving Tarcoola, another change occurred in the land- scape, as the train sped on to the unique Nullarbor, one of the large:::! plains in the world. It was quite evident why this plain had been called the "Nulla rbor," as it was completely devoid of trees. The only signs of vegetation were the endless clumps of salt bush. A big surprise for me was the reddish colour of the soil. I had expected it to be white or light grey. Soon it was in our eyes, hair, clothes, and food, and it seeped through every- where as we sped across the plain. Something that disappointed me very much was not see- ing any aborigines. I had heard so much about the Nullarbor blacks that I was looking forward to seeing them with their boomerangs. What I did see, however , that I did not expect, was a mirage. This was very extraordinary, as I saw in the distance what looked like a lake of clear, blue water, bordered by cool green trees a nd bushes-but none of these things really existed. The temperature while we were crossing the plain was 108 degrees. Looking in the direction in which the train was travelling, I saw a straight line of telegraph poles alongside the railway tracks, and looking back in the direction from whence we came, I could see a continuation of this straight line. We were travelling along what was known as the "Straight Stretch," a distance of more than three hundred miles without a bend in the line. Occasionally, on glancing through the window, I could see kangaroos hopping away from the tracks. 28

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